Why We Like Content Management Systems (like TYPO3 CMS)

If you browse around our website you’ll run into a bulky and abstract word when we talk about TYPO3: content management system, or CMS. There are loads of good reasons for using a CMS, but first, let’s take a look at what happens when you don’t use a CMS. Every website needs design, code and content. And when a website is not attached to a CMS, changes to any content need to be made directly in the website code.

Hard coding is dirty work

Today, code and content sometimes get confused. This is due to the legacy of HTML websites. In the beginning, all those many years ago, websites used to be built by hand. The code and the content for each individual page was were assembled meticulously and stored in specific files. Changing a single word or image in a static HTML website meant–and still means!–changing the code.

In HTML, content and code are the same thing.

This can be tedious and very, very, time-consuming. You want a new header image on your website? Call your web developer. He or she will then insert the image on every single page of your website. You want to add a new page to your website? Same thing. Put bluntly, making changes is a total pain in the neck.

Using a CMS makes maintaining websites easy and fun

Content management systems are used for displaying a website. The kicker of a CMS? Code and content are kept in different places. The code of any CMS is usually managed in a source code management system like Gerrit or GitHub; that’s where it “lives”. Content on the other hand, “lives” in the CMS. This means that anyone can make changes with amazing speed and flexibility.

A CMS comes with a WYSIWYG editor (What You See Is What You Get). Anyone who can create a simple document in a text editor will have no problem using a CMS to create web pages, blog posts, news articles, and so on.

Backed the wrong horse?

Are you unhappy with your current website? Does it help you get your work done or get in your way? If not, you should have a look at a well-maintained CMS with a long term commercial support offering. A widely-adopted, flexible open source offering like TYPO3 CMS makes sense for most businesses.

TYPO3 CMS is regularly updated, well-maintained, and backed by an open source developer community, a service provider ecosystem, and a commercial entity, TYPO3 GmbH.

TYPO3 CMS gives you all the advantages of a broadly adopted open source CMS: the tools and resources to build any website you need, access to the source code and the freedom to adapt it to best suit your needs, and the confidence of reliable support and updates.

4 benefits of TYPO3 CMS

Customization TYPO3 CMS allows a developer to customize, remove, and add to it in order to create a site that is unique. Content, themes, features - anything can be customized to perfectly fit customers’ needs.

Open source software Another pro of TYPO3 CMS is that you have access to the source code and the software itself doesn’t cost a cent. There is no licensing to purchase and it’s backed by community members from around the world.

Scalability TYPO3 CMS is built to handle anything from large to small websites. And it’s also a good choice for a site that will be growing over time. Check out these interesting case studies.

Extensions Additional functionality can easily be found in TYPO3’s Extension Repository and these extensions can be installed and configured in your running system. If what you need isn’t there, you can have it coded for you and integrated into your system.

This is list is by no way complete, but hopefully it serves as a good introduction into TYPO3 CMS’s benefits and why content management systems are such a good choice.

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About the Author

Jörg Ems

Customer Account Manager, TYPO3 GmbH, Düsseldorf

As a former chef for more than 20 years, Jörg has an eye for detail when it comes to customer satisfaction and success in his day to day work as the Customer Account Manager for TYPO3 GmbH.
He strives to give the best support possible and to convey TYPO3's philosophy.

Jörg joined the TYPO3 GmbH in April of 2016, being the first staff member of the newly founded company. While he is not a developer, he has a strong fascination for TYPO3 and especially its community.

In his spare time he likes to play guitar and produce electronic music.